A. MASSP Supports Legislation That:

1. Would guarantee all schools an adequate and equitable level of educational funding to meet state and federal mandates, including required assessments, and guarantee all students equal access to educational opportunities.
2. Urges the General Assembly to strengthen laws controlling tax increment financing, urban redevelopment corporation and enterprise zones so that school districts have greater control over their duly authorized revenues.
3. Creates educational standards for home-schooled students and institutes procedures for enforcement of those standards.
4. Limits possession of weapons, concealed or otherwise on all school premises, facilities, parking areas, grounds, vehicles, and at all school activities, with the exception of law enforcement officials, and that strengthens penalties for violations.
5. Modifies the circuit breaker law, opposes property tax freezes, opposes homestead exemptions unless protection of school district property tax revenues is guaranteed, and establishes new procedures for assessing depreciable tangible personal property.
6. Allows the voters of Missouri to amend the State Constitution to provide for a simple majority approval of public school general obligation bond issues and to increase the limit of bonded indebtedness.
7. Provides new sources of funding for school building construction and renovation.
8. Provides voting representation for school districts on governing boards which grant either Chapter 100 or Chapter 353 tax abatements.
9. Supports a bargaining process for public school employees that ensures that school districts retain final decision making authority and have the ability to accept, reject or modify any proposal that may be presented.

B: MASSP Opposes Legislation That:

1. Reduces revenue to pubic schools, including voucher programs, tuition tax credits or tax deductions.
2. Restricts local control regarding:
   1. disciplinary policies;
   2. the expenditure of administrative costs for school districts
   3. the employment, assignment, compensation, or termination of school personnel;
   4. language that would directly lead to or would be an incentive for the consolidation of school districts or would authorize inter/intra-district "school choice”;
   5. the principal's right to preview student publications in the best interest of students, schools and communities; or
   6. curriculum.
3. Attempts to regulate the operating procedures of the Missouri State High School Activities Association.
4. Authorizes any action merging the Public School Retirement System with the federal Social Security System.
5. Authorizes the expansion of charter schools.
6. Mandates that school districts educate students who have been suspended or expelled.
7. Decreases the percent of foundation formula funds expenditure mandate for professional development for either school districts or DESE.

C: MASSP supports a comprehensive statewide system of treatment and services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to enhance the educational opportunities available. This includes but is not limited to  state supported training for early childhood educators; expansion of early childhood services; coordination of services provided by the state and local political subdivisions; and development of best practice guidelines for effective educational assessments and interventions.

These resolutions were approved by the MASSP Board of Directors on June 18, 2009.